Minimalism   is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features. As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life. When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn't take everything with me, but I kept asking myself "how could I possibly throw this away?", "what if I need it one day?", and "what about all of the memories?" Now that I've moved, and left that stuff behind, I don't even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now. I've learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it. You might think nostalgically  about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1've heard it a hundred times, "you don't need things to make you happy." It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is. Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It's about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don't have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don't need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I'll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.  _ There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don't really need? Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it's because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our... Many people don't want to let go of some of their belongings because  _ A) they haven't had any life-changing experiences B) they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff C) they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away D) they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them
B


You could have poor eyesight because you didn't spend enough time outdoors as a child, according to the conclusion of some studies on short-sightedness published in the Optometry and Vision Science.  Although short-sightedness can easily be corrected with glasses or contact lenses , it's much better to prevent it altogether. This means we should allow the eyes to develop the way they should in childhood. Children need to spend more time outdoors, focusing on distant objects, say the Australian researchers. This gives the eyeballs a chance to develop as they should. According to one study on short-sightedness, the risk of developing short-sightedness is great -- about 60 percent -- in children who get five hours or less per week of outdoor activities. But if they do outdoor activities for 14 hours or more a week, the risk drops to 20 percent. Spending time outdoors can even help people overcome a genetic predisposition   to short-sightedness. Children with parents who are short-sighted can bring down their risk by spending a few hours a day outdoors, suggest the findings from another of the studies presented at the conference. It's being in an outdoor environment that seems to be important, not the type of activity. Studies show that both active and passive outdoor activities have the same protective effect. So encourage children to balance the time they spend reading and studying with time outside. Two to three hours a day outside of school hours is the suggested amount by scientists. If it's hard to find that time, then cut the amount of television and reduce the time they spend on computer games and get kids to take frequent breaks outdoors when reading and studying. In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage? A) Society. B) Fashion C) Health. D) Finance.
C


Q: China's top labor official said the country is planning to push back the age at which workers can retire. Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, demonstrated that we did not put a timetable on the move when he spoke about it during a forum at the weekend. "Delaying the retirement age is a very complicated issue and we will study it according to the situations of population and employment and consider different groups of people," Yin said. He noted that _ in the retirement age have been brought in by many countries and can be a good way to deal with an aging population and ensure the healthy and stable development of social security. The life expectancy of Chinese people is now 73 years and is expected to rise to 74 during the next five years, he said. Nearly three out of 10 Chinese people will be older than 60 by 2040, according to a United Nations forecast. The retirement age in China currently is 60 for men and 55 for female civil servants and 50 for female workers. The idea of delaying the retirement age is being widely supported by government officials, while many laborers and non-government employees were less enthusiastic about the prospect of working for longer. Currently, they have to pay into their pension plans for at least 15 years before they can retire. Chen Xianlian, a female worker at a motorcycle parts manufacturer in Chongqing municipality is among those who would like to see the retirement age left as it is. "I have to do lots of tough and repetitive work every day and I feel very tired after my working day," the 41-year-old said. "All my colleagues are discussing the government's possible move to lift the retirement age. None of us wants to work any extra years." University graduates also fear that any rise in the retirement age could limit their employment opportunities. According to the current policy, Chen Xianlian has to work   _   more years from now before her retirement A) 14 B) 9 C) 19 D) 15
A: B


*Question*
We often don' t give importance to minor things thinking they won' t matter. But at times, some things look very minor but their result can be really powerful. Here are some of the efforts which can change the relationship between parents and children. Pat your child when he loses:May it be failure in the class, or on the field, speak words of encouragement to your child. The trust and confidence in your relationship will go to another level. After all, words of encouragement during failure are more valuable than words of praise after success. Give him importance, like a member of the family:Hang his painting in your room or in the office, take his opinion when you are buying furniture for the house. Your child will believe in himself and be a winner throughout. Share your own experience when your child makes a mistake:When you see your child lying or stealing, share with him the mistakes you made in your life. He' 11 know it is all right to make mistakes and that he can share with you anything. Appreciate at least one quality in your child every day:Each day look at what qualities your child possesses and appreciate him, maybe for his caring attitude, his dance skills or his observation power. Tell him how proud you are of him because of those qualities. Become his age before bedtime:Jump on the bed, have pillow fights, act silly, dance--become a child with your child for sometime. You' 11 forget all your day's stress. Try these minor things; you' 11 see the love deepen and the relationship blossom. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) Children should be patted when they lose something. B) Children should be encouraged if they are in trouble. C) Both failure and mistakes should be ignored. D) Children should help parents buy furniture for the house.
**Answer**

B